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After a hiatus of nearly 4 months, the NBA season will come back to life at the end of this July. We've all missed out on watching our favourite NBA stars - LeBron James, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, among others.
When do these superstars get back into action? How is the NBA going to keep its players safe during this worldwide pandemic that has claimed so many lives?
When does the NBA season start again?
The NBA season will restart on 30th July. While teams have played an average of 64 games thus far, the league office has decided not to include all 30 teams in the restart. Only 22 teams - 9 from the East and 13 from the Western Conference - will be playing the remaining games.
Every team will be playing 8 games each. The schedule for the games is out, and 6 teams from each conference have already secured their positions in the playoffs.
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The NBA has added an additional twist to this season, putting in place the provision for a play-in tournament. The play-in tournament will be played if the 9th-placed team in either conference is placed within 4 games or fewer of the 8th seeded team.
One loss in the play-in tournament will be enough to eliminate the lower seed, while the higher seed will have to be defeated twice in order to be knocked out.
Everything you need to know about the bubble
The 22 teams will be accommodated in 3 of the Disney World resort's best hotels - the Gran Destino tower of Coronado Springs, Grand Floridian, and Yacht Club. The NBA has placed the teams in these 3 hotels according to the teams' rankings in the season thus far, prompting tons of meme responses from NBA Twitter.
The players, coaches, and team staff will be expected to follow some strict guidelines. They will not be allowed to leave Disney World unless there are extenuating circumstances - like the birth of a child, for example. They will not be allowed to visit anyone else's rooms.
The players will be tested regularly (at least twice a week). They will not be allowed to shower after games at the arena, twiddle with their mouthguards, or pass towels to teammates. The NBA will be enforcing social distancing guidelines - players will have to wear masks at all times except when in their own rooms or involved in sporting activities.
The NBA will make slight concessions in order to allow players to bring in a maximum of 4 guests after the first round of playoffs. The playoffs start on 17th August, and a latest possible Finals date of October 13th has been fixed. A limited number of players will be allowed to attend games of other NBA teams at the 3 arenas built for these games.
ALSO READ: 5 Players eager to redeem themselves in Orlando after a disappointing season so far
Guess the Lakers players!
